My 1995 Small Farm.

The night deep in the Qinling Mountains is primitive and desolate.

Under a starless and moonless night sky, in the pitch-black forest, only pairs of green eyes flickered, intermittently accompanied by the roars of beasts and the occasional hooting of owls, creating an extremely eerie atmosphere.

This place is too far from human habitation; it's the domain of wild animals.

At night, packs of jackals and wolves roam the area, and leopards and bears also roam the forests, making it very dangerous to camp in such deep mountains.

Chen Ling didn't find a place to rest tonight. After leaving the wolf den and driving away the large lynx, he spotted a pack of wolves above the ravine.

Originally, he thought that since he had encountered a lynx, it would be good to capture it and raise it in the cave, which would also help the newborn wolf cubs get out of danger.

The thing was too slippery; he fired two shots but missed. Its movements were so light it was like it was floating, and in the blink of an eye it was ten meters away. He couldn't even aim his gun properly, let alone get close to Chen Ling himself.

Chen Ling chased after them for a while, crossing several obvious animal trails in the mountains, and finally encountered a pack of wolves in the open area above the ravine.

The wolf pack consisted of about fourteen or fifteen wolves. Led by their alpha, they ran swiftly through the mountains and forests, occasionally letting out mournful howls.

They are gathering in a group, their target is a herd of sika deer.

The wolf pack launched a frontal attack, and the sika deer scattered in panic.

Sika deer are the spirits of the mountains; they can jump high and run fast, darting through the forests with incredible speed, and few can match them.

But they are fast, and the wolf pack is not slow either, and they are extremely patient.

So the wolf pack quickly caught an old and weak sika deer.

Sika deer already fall into the category of large herbivores, and this amount of food, weighing over a hundred kilograms, is enough for the pack of wolves to have a hearty meal.

However, they keenly sensed Chen Ling's presence.

Out of caution, the wolves did not come to attack. Instead, they glanced warily in Chen Ling's direction a few times before dragging their prey down the mountain.

Chen Ling marveled at the wolves' intelligence and caution, thinking that perhaps they had sensed the danger, since he had just shot at the lynx and knew that his side was not to be trifled with.

Once they had food, they took it away, perhaps because they were afraid I would steal it?

It was a rare opportunity for Chen Ling to witness a hunting scene of wild animals in the mountains firsthand. Being so immersed in the experience filled him with excitement that he couldn't think of anything else.

We slowly followed the wolf pack down the mountain along the animal trail, keeping a distance behind them.

Of course, he didn't follow too closely, otherwise the wolves would probably have to keep wandering around to shake him off once they noticed him.

But what I didn't expect was...

The wolves had just dragged the deer down the mountain when they encountered a blind bear.

No, it's not one end, it's two ends.

It wasn't a mother bear with her cubs, one large and one small, but rather a pair of very robust black bears.

One was facing off against the wolf pack on one side of the stream, while the other roared and charged out from the other side.

When male and female bears appear together, it means they are in the middle of mating season.

At this time, they value their territory the most.

The wolves thought their food was being eyed, and the two sides immediately confronted each other.

The wolves howled, the black bear roared, and the two sides stood facing off for a while.

The enraged bear finally couldn't contain its fury and slapped the wolf, who couldn't dodge in time and fell to the ground.

The wolf pack, of course, wouldn't stand for this and immediately launched a counterattack.

Under the cover of darkness, by the stream, the two sides fought.

The sounds of splashing water, roars, screams, and heavy breathing...

All of these things were swirling around Chen Ling's ears.

He lay intently on a large rock in the woods, watching the spectacle unfold, oblivious to the rock's coldness.

Five small yellow-skinned animals were also beside him, watching curiously.

Having been tempered by this experience, they are no longer afraid of these ferocious large beasts; on the contrary, they are all eager to try.

It's a bit like the audacious yellow-throated marten.

Most of the time, battles between wild beasts are very quick.

They are all wise.

They knew that once injured, it would be fatal in the mountains.

The goal is simply to drive the other side away, keep them far away, and minimize fighting.

So the two sides quickly stopped fighting.

The wolves dragged their prey away; clearly, they had given in.

The black bear couple slowly and unsteadily walked away.

The bear is gone, and the wolf pack is gone too.

There was only a badly wounded wolf in the spot, and a mother wolf lingering there, licking her wounds beside the injured wolf, reluctant to leave.

"So it was the alpha wolf that was injured...no wonder the pack gave in and left so quickly."

Seeing the mother wolf's reluctant departure, Chen Ling suddenly realized the identity of the wolf that had been severely injured by the black bear's slap.

Because in a wolf pack, only the alpha wolf has the right to mate, and only monogamous wolves are qualified to reproduce.

These couples exhibit a high degree of loyalty.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, we will spend our lives together.

As a result, the alpha wolf is now seriously injured and dead.

The mother wolf stayed by its side for a long time, snuggling close to it, reluctant to leave.

After a long time, when the alpha wolf's body had turned cold, the mother wolf finally stood up and slowly walked away.

After walking for a while, I looked back several times before finally leaving.

It did not seek out its fellow wolves.

Once the alpha wolf is lost, the pack may not be able to accept it back.

As Chen Ling watched the mother wolf's retreating figure, he suddenly thought of the pregnant and giving birth mother wolf.

Then I remembered those two old wolves that ran down the mountain.

It is estimated that they were eliminated from the wolf pack when they encountered various ferocious opponents and wandered alone in the mountains.

Yes.

As the variety of wild animals in the nearby mountains gradually increased.

These kinds of cruel things happen every now and then.

Just then, the mother wolf, who had left alone, let out a terrified howl.

Chen Ling shuddered and quickly looked over.

It turned out that a pack of Qinling jackals had rushed down from the distant mountains and chased and bit the mother wolf, their shadowy figures emitting eerie howls in the dead of night.

"It seems that the pregnant she-wolf isn't the only one who's pitiful..."

"Perhaps I shouldn't even bother with that pregnant mother wolf and her cubs."

Chen Ling sighed inwardly, suddenly realizing that he was still far from being a true hunter.

……

Outside the mountains, it was already broad daylight.

Several small thatched huts are nestled on the grassy slope, accompanied by small courtyards.

The morning sunlight lazily streamed in.

The steamer was filled with steam carrying the aroma of meat.

Chen Xiaoer and his wife were busy around the stove.

Beside her was a pretty and lively little girl, accompanied by two little boys dressed in thick clothes and wearing small hats.

There were also two large dogs circling the steamer, waiting for the big meat buns to come out of the pot.

"I'm asking you a question, Zhenzhen. Seeing you and Rui Rui running out to play so happily so early, it must be your brother-in-law coming back, right?"

Chen Xiaoer's wife laughed and patted Wang Zhenzhen on the head, "You're so focused on the steamed buns, be careful not to burn yourself."

"Yes, my brother-in-law came back before dawn, bringing back a lot of game, including several sika deer. Heiwa and Xiaojin went up the mountain to help him bring them back."

I fed them when I came; several of them were pregnant.

Wang Zhenzhen stared at the sizzling steamer and answered, then said to Chen Xiaoer, "Brother Xiaoer, your steamed buns smell so good! Apart from my brother-in-law, I've never smelled such fragrant buns before."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xiaoer touched his bald head, and his eyes almost disappeared with laughter.

Then he shook his head, grinned, and said, "I dare not say I'm good at anything else, but there are two things I'm best at: one is these pork and scallion buns, and the other is our Chen family's vinegar-braised noodles."

I'll let you try them all another day.

Just then, the steamed buns were ready to be taken out of the steamer, so he lifted the lid of the steamer.

Amidst the rising white steam, he and his wife began filling steamed buns with a sieve.

"Come on, come on, let's eat some steamed buns."

Chen Xiaoer called out, and with both hands, he first put one bowl into a separate bowl, then handed the bowl to Wang Zhenzhen: "Let it cool down first, eat slowly, be careful it's hot."

When Rui Rui and Da Xu saw Wang Zhenzhen holding a bowl and starting to eat steamed buns, they hurriedly stood on tiptoe and stretched out their little hands, shouting "Bao Zhi!" "Bao Zhi!"

"Hey, look at you two, looking like greedy cats."

Chen Xiaoer gave the two little babies a funny glare.

Then he picked up a large steamed bun and broke it in half.

Inside is a meat filling saturated with broth, so thick it's like a meatball. When you break it open, it's piping hot and steaming.

Even he himself hissed from the heat, gasped for breath, and quickly put it into two small bowls.

Then, under the expectant gazes of Rui Rui and Da Xu, it was placed on the small table, and two small spoons were given to them for them to eat.

The two little ones were already craving it, so they didn't know how to use a spoon anymore.

I buried my face in the bowl and started eating. The temperature was low in the mountains in the morning, so the buns that were broken in half like this quickly cooled down.

The two little kids ate with their faces covered in oil, looking like two little tigers, gobbling down their food with great gusto.

Wang Zhenzhen also held the bowl and ate heartily. After the buns were no longer so hot, she simply picked them up with her hands and ate them with great relish.

Chen Xiaoer and his wife watched with smiles, saying, "Eat slowly, there's more to come."

Then he and his wife ladled out a bowl of millet porridge, took a meat bun and some pickled vegetables, took a bite of the fragrant meat bun, then a bite of the refreshing pickled vegetables, and finally drank a sip of the hot millet porridge.

So comfortable.

Chen Xiaoer had had this idea for a long time.

Find a place free from noise, scheming, and the struggle for fame and fortune, and live there to spend time that truly belongs to you.

At least we should be able to live our own little lives.

He has now achieved it.

Watching the children gathered around the table, heartily eating the steamed buns he had made himself, he felt a warm glow in his heart and an unprecedented sense of satisfaction.

"Rui Rui, aren't the steamed buns Uncle made delicious?"

"Awoo, good seven."

"Haha, bring a few back to your dad later, so he can try our cooking and stop complaining that we're freeloading off him."

"Aww, Mommy wants some too."

"Oh, hahaha, good boy, good boy, no wonder people say you're a smart little thing, you know so much at such a young age."

Upon hearing this, Wang Zhenzhen quickly chimed in, "He knows a lot, and he always complains about Lele and Kangkang crying. Whenever he hears them, he covers his ears, frowns, and imitates my brother-in-law's sigh."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xiaoer and his wife were even happier.

She smiled at Rui Rui and said, "Oh my, you little rascal, you can even sigh now."

Then I watched as Wang Zhenzhen got up, grabbed a big steamed bun, sat back down, and started munching on it.

Chen Xiao'er's eyes darted around, thinking to himself that Fu Gui had hunted so much game this time, he would definitely make stew. His son and sister-in-law had eaten so many of my buns, so this time he had a legitimate reason to freeload.

That's just how he makes friends.

The more they consider someone a true friend, the more stingy they become.

Since Chen Ling's children came over for a meal, we definitely have to eat back, and we have to eat there a few more times. We have to make a profit.

Just then, they saw Chen Ling walking over from the bottom of the slope, leading a little green horse and a little white calf.

Chen Xiaoer saw it clearly.

When Chen Ling ran into Wang Juxiang, Wang Juxiang, whose leg injury had just healed, was driving Wang Laishun's donkey cart loaded with corn from the threshing ground. He guessed that he was going to deliver the grain to the township today. When he saw Chen Ling, he was so nervous that he almost bumped into Chen Ling.

After dodging, Chen Ling coldly dragged Wang Juxiang from the donkey cart to the ground: "Are you blind or doing this on purpose? Don't you want your leg to heal?"

Wang Juxiang was so frightened that his face turned pale and he trembled all over. He kept saying, "I packed too much corn. It was hard for the donkey to pull it. I didn't notice."

They didn't dare utter a single word of rebuttal or complaint.

Chen Ling didn't do anything to him. Since they were enemies, and he almost bumped into him, he wasn't allowed to make a fuss.
That doesn't make sense.

"Hey kid, look how scared you've made people. You're practically a village bully now."

As soon as Wang Juxiang left, Chen Xiaoer joked on the slope.

He had certainly heard of the Wang brothers' exploits and knew why this man was afraid of Chen Ling: he had been unreasonable and bullied his own brother, and Chen Ling had beaten him into submission.

So I didn't think Chen Ling was being unreasonable; he was just joking.

Chen Ling ignored these words, let go of the horse and the ox, and saw his sister-in-law and son eating steamed buns on the table, so he went over and took some steamed buns without any hesitation.

"Zhenzhen said that Fugui, you just got back late at night. Come and have a bowl of porridge to warm yourself up."

Chen Xiao'er's wife delivered some steamed buns to Zhao Yubao's family on the hillside. When she returned and saw Chen Ling arrive, she greeted him with a smile.

"Oh, no need to trouble yourself, sister-in-law, I can do it myself."

"Ha, you really don't stand on ceremony, sitting down and eating and drinking like crazy."

Seeing Chen Ling eat half a bun in one bite, Chen Xiaoer thought to himself, "With this kid's appetite, how many meals would I have to eat at his house to get my money's worth?"

"Dad~"

Seeing Chen Ling drinking porridge, Rui Rui quickly came over and buried her head in the bowl to drink as well.

They were drinking with gusto, and their two greasy little hands reached for the bowl.

Chen Ling quickly pulled away, grabbed a tablecloth, and frowned as she wiped his hands: "You, you, really, your hands and face are ruined. Da Xu, come and wipe them too."

After wiping his hands with the two children, Chen Ling looked up and said, "Little brother, you did a great job with this fence and courtyard. It took me three or four days to get it done, and you finished it so quickly."

"Of course, do you think I'm really lazy and ignorant about farming? I learn everything quickly and do any kind of work just as well."

Chen Xiaoer crossed his legs and gave himself a thumbs-up: "I don't have any other merits, but I'm smart, hardworking, and self-reliant."

"You can pull it down."

Chen Ling glanced at him: "Do you really think I don't know who fixed your stove and roof?"

"Hey, that doesn't count. That definitely requires skill, but I'll figure it out eventually."

Chen Xiaoer wasn't guilty at all. Then, he changed the subject and asked curiously, "Did you have so much fun hunting in the mountains that you forgot the time... or did something happen? Didn't you say you'd be back the next day?"

How come it's already the fourth day?

I heard from Uncle Cunye that you were supposed to go to the city to pick someone up recently.

Will relatives return from Beijing after the National Day holiday?
You shouldn't have forgotten about this.

"Yes, something came up and delayed me."

Chen Ling shook his head helplessly and began to recount his experiences in the mountains.

Upon hearing this, Chen Xiaoer and his wife were immediately drawn in. Chen Xiaoer forgot to tease Chen Ling anymore and even abandoned his idea of ​​going to Chen Ling's house for a few more meals. He listened intently.

The hunter's real encounters reveal the true nature of the wild animals in the mountains to him.

This was something Chen Xiaoer had never heard of in all these years.

Hearing about a pregnant wolf being chased by a black bear and frantically searching for a place to give birth halfway through her journey, I couldn't help but feel sorry for her.

They asked Chen Ling why he didn't bring the wolf cub back.

Chen Ling simply shook his head, offering no further explanation, and continued recounting his experiences in the mountains over the past few days.

Upon hearing the last part, Chen Xiao'er exclaimed in surprise, "So that's how it is! It turns out that there are more wild animals in the mountains, and the old and crippled ones are eliminated in the struggle and run down the mountain."

So, does this mean we'll see more and more stories like the old wolf and the old boar coming down from the mountain in the future?

Chen Ling nodded. This goes without saying; it's a given.

Especially as winter approaches and food becomes scarcer in the mountains, there is a fear that even larger-scale battles will break out among wild animals.

But don't worry about that.

I will bring Afu and Ashou back then.

There are also dogs guarding the house.

It is absolutely safe.